‘I am not rich. I'm a tour guide’: Group skips paying their friend back for an organized trip he planned, then accuse him of public shaming when he posts receipts in their group chat

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
Nov 29, 2025 7:00 AM EST

Trying to get a group of friends together for Wednesday drinks is hard these days, but this guy managed to get his crew to go on along weekend trip to another city. Bravo. Only problem is,he didn't manage to get his money back. Turns out settling up the funding part was basically a lost cause. 

Anyone who's ever been the group organizer knows how fast friends forget to hit send when it comes to paying back. One person lines up every detail, books every room, gets stuck footing the bill, then waits for those magical words, sending it now, that never actually show up. Two months of polite reminders get ignored, everyone signs up for a brand new trip, and suddenly you're the one being dramatic for asking to get your cash back.

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  • AITJ for posting receipts in our group chat after my friends called me petty

    diverse group of young adults stands side by side against a plain background, making a playful “money” hand gesture while looking directly at the camera
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    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I need outside perspective on this because my whole friend group is against me right now and I can't tell if I'm the problem or not.
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  • I'm 24M, live in Marrakech. I have this friend group from university - Karim (25M), Yasmine (24F), Othmane (26M), and a few others who come and go.
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  • We've been tight for like 4 years maybe? Longer? I don't know time is weird. Anyway I've always been the "planner friend." I organize our trips, book the riads, coordinate transport, make the restaurant reservations.
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  • I don't mind it usually because I work as a tour guide so I'm good at this stuff and I know places.
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  • The problem is money. Every single trip I end up fronting costs because "it's easier if one person books it." Which fine.
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  • A diverse group of young adults stands together against a white background, cupping their ears and leaning forward as if they can't hear something.
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    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Calling out freeloaders in the chat isn’t petty, it’s just skipping the part where you quietly get hustled one more time. As soon as the receipts came flying in, the same folks who defaulted on dinner come out swinging with accusations about public shaming and tradition. Most group chats go quiet when there’s nothing to talk about. this one went silent over digital debt collection. Nobody likes the planner when money’s on the line, but everyone expects the spreadsheet and the room bookings to show up like magic. Tradition shouldn’t mean one person plays accountant to a crew that ghosts him when payments are due.

  • But then getting people to pay me back is like pulling teeth. I have to ask three, four, five times.
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  • Sometimes people just... don't. And I feel weird being the guy who keeps asking about money.
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  • Last trip was in September. Essaouira, three nights. I put maybe 4,200 MAD on my card for the accommodation and a group dinner.
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  • That's like almost 400 euros for context. I am not rich. I'm a tour guide. I sent the breakdown in our WhatsApp group.
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  • Karim paid me back within a week. The others? Nothing. I reminded them twice. Yasmine said "oh yeah I'll get you next week." That was two months ago.
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  • So last week Othmane messages the group all excited about a New Year's trip to Chefchaouen.
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  • Starts asking me to look into places. Assuming I'll just organize it again. I said no.
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  • I said I'm not planning anything until people pay me back from last time. Othmane called me petty.
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  • Said I was "ruining the tradition" over a "small amount." Yasmine said I was being dramatic and making things awkward.
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  • So maybe I snapped. I posted screenshots. Every Venmo request. Every "I'll pay you tomorrow" message.
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  • The dates. The amounts. Who paid (Karim) and who didn't (everyone else). Now everyone's mad at ME.
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  • Yasmine left the group. Othmane said I "publicly humiliated" them. Karim is staying neutral which honestly hurts because he's the only one who actually paid.
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  • My sister says I went too far with the receipts and should have handled it privately.
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  • But I DID try to handle it privately?? For two months?? I don't know. Maybe posting it all was too much.
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  • But also maybe don't call someone petty when you literally owe them money. TL;DR: Been the trip planner friend for years, friends stopped paying me back, refused to plan new trip, got called petty, posted receipts showing who owes what, now everyone's mad at me and one friend left the group chat.
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